Author
Topic: S/O Beggars, Moochers and Scammers (Read 946724 times)

I wonder if there is an alert set up in your Verizon account to keep track of minutes or data usage. I know that my cell phone carrier sends me periodic text alerts. It's strange that the message is just a number though. Mine says something like, "You have used 75% of your data plan for this billing cycle ending on August 24."

Logged

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." — Douglas Adams

I had a new one today, just now. I'm kind of excited because it was a scam within a scam.

Victor Smith from Microsoft rang because they "have some money" and want to refund me because I was scammed in the past by people pretending to be Microsoft. No I haven't, I said. I hang up on those people, I said. Yes I had, Victor assured me, they had scammed me for $129.99 and they would like to refund that to me. Great! Thanks, Victor, send me a cheque!

No, no cheques. All I had to do was log on to a website and re-enter the details from the credit card they defrauded me on and the money could be alllllll mine.

In the 1950s there was a TV show called The Millionaire. The guy who delivered the surprise was Michael Anthony. This delivery agent must be his son! And the victim of a fraud is a mark, so they kind of misnamed the perpetrator. Guess the are having fun!

In the 1950s there was a TV show called The Millionaire. The guy who delivered the surprise was Michael Anthony. This delivery agent must be his son! And the victim of a fraud is a mark, so they kind of misnamed the perpetrator. Guess the are having fun!

But they must have fallen on really hard times, which isn't surprising if they are flying people around to hand out $2.50. Even millionaires wouldn't waste that much on $2.50.

I'm afraid one of my kids is a little scammer in the making. I hope I was able to show her it never really works!

BG: We were at Target one day and I got the kids their school backpacks. As we were leaving, the security gates went off. No one ever came over to investigate but I made sure the kids didn't accidentally have anything in their hands or pockets (they didn't.) Of course, I had the receipt for everything in our bag, so we went on our merry way. At home, I discovered one of those square security label things and I figure it was either supposed to be removed or disabled in some way and wasn't. The kids were very concerned about the whole "gates going off" thing but I told that sometimes they do and as long as you aren't actually stealing anything, it's not a big deal because you'll have a receipt showing proof of payment.

So in the car the other day, DD8 (who has obviously been mulling this over) said, "Mom, I know how you can get past the gates!"

Me: Oh? How?

DD8: Well, you just buy something. Then you go back later and steal the same thing but bring your receipt. Then when the gates go off, you just say, "Oh, it's okay, I have a receipt right here!" and then you have two things!

Me: Well, that sounds like it would work but every receipt has the date and time stamped on it. The security guard would know you're lying.

DD8: Oh. I guess I didn't think of that.

Me: Well, please remember that stealing is ALWAYS wrong* and you will eventually get caught and it's really not ever worth it. Dad and I will be extremely disappointed if we ever find out you're doing something like that. (then I went into how it seems harmless but it really hurts everyone, yadda yadda yadda...)

She's a really good kid and I doubt she ever would steal anything. She likes a good puzzle and went about solving the problem of security gates. But her logic scared me a little, LOL.

*I know there are circumstances where this could be debated but I didn't need to get into semantics with an 8-year old with a plan to successfully boost merchandise...

I know someone who's son would constantly do what he was told not to. Like putting his hand on a hot burner or lighting matches.

They went to SeaWorld, and he stole a necklace. Which wasn't discovered until they were almost at their car, when they marched him back to the security/police office and he had to explain what he did and pay for the necklace out of his allowance. He was 8.

I know someone who's son would constantly do what he was told not to. Like putting his hand on a hot burner or lighting matches.

They went to SeaWorld, and he stole a necklace. Which wasn't discovered until they were almost at their car, when they marched him back to the security/police office and he had to explain what he did and pay for the necklace out of his allowance. He was 8.

You'd think that would be a painful enough experience that he'd never do it again...

They went to SeaWorld, and he stole a necklace. Which wasn't discovered until they were almost at their car, when they marched him back to the security/police office and he had to explain what he did and pay for the necklace out of his allowance. He was 8.

I'm impressed by those parents. My mother did much the same thing to me when I was about that age and stole a candy bar from a small neighborhood market. I never stole again.

I remember stealing a pack of gum from the local store when I was five. In my defense, I didn't think of it as stealing - I wanted it, my mother wouldn't buy it for me, so the choice to my childish mind was obvious.

When my mother discovered it and knew darned well how I'd gotten it, she marched me back to the store to apologize to the manager. I've never forgotten that.

Topic: I was walking down the street the other day, happily listening to music on my iPhone, when a panhandler stopped me by yelling at me, then waving her hand in front of my face when I didn't hear her. I ... did not react well.

I remember stealing a pack of gum from the local store when I was five. In my defense, I didn't think of it as stealing - I wanted it, my mother wouldn't buy it for me, so the choice to my childish mind was obvious.

When my mother discovered it and knew darned well how I'd gotten it, she marched me back to the store to apologize to the manager. I've never forgotten that.

Topic: I was walking down the street the other day, happily listening to music on my iPhone, when a panhandler stopped me by yelling at me, then waving her hand in front of my face when I didn't hear her. I ... did not react well.

My boyfriend would make the worst scammer in the world. When he was a kid, he stole one of those metal free-standing price signs they used to have in the stores. (the were maybe 6 or 8" high and wide, with a slot that paper description and prices could be slid into.)His mother caught him and made him take it back and apologise. what kind of self-respecting little boy would steal a PRICE SIGN?

DSS stole a single tamarind from the grocery store a couple month's ago. He's twelve, well above the age where he knows right from wrong. His excuse for his misdeed was, "Well, I asked if I could have some and you didn't answer." (Special Snowflake IwantitIwillhaveit? We also found 3 empty soda cans in his shower, which he claims he was using to poor water over himself, but we have reasonable suspicion that he snuck them there to drink them because we limit his soda consumption. I realize it's the age and not true SS, but grrrrrrrr either way.) This all happened while he was with his mother, who marked him back in to talk to the manager, who told him she wouldn't call the police this time. Followed by attorney stepmom norrina assuring him that yes, in fact, the manager could have done that. Over a $.05 tamarind.